Apparatus for wood distillation.



No. 875,342. PATENTED DBG. 31, 1907. G. B. FRANKFORTER. APPARATUS P0P. Woon DISTILLATION.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR.20. 1905.

, 4 SHBBTS-SHEET 1.

l/WENTOR GEORGE B;

FRANKFURT R. er? ff f HIS ATTORNEYS..

'No'. 875,342. PATENTED DEG. 31. 1907. G. B. FRANKPORTER.

APPARATUS PoR Woon DISTILLATIONA APPLICATION FILED MAR.20.1905. l

4 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

O5 fjigiifj) Q v, i S Lk Q I jt W j /NVENroR GEORGE E l FRANKFORTR www@ HIS ATTORNEYS.

No. 875,342. PATENTED DEO. 3l, 1907 G. B. FRANKFORTER.

APPARATUS FOR WOOD DISTILLATION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.20.1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOH GEORGE B FHAMffRf/i? H/ A T TURA/frs.

WTNESSES @..9Vlor/vna/mm No. 8753342. PA'TEN-TED DBG.'3`1, 1907. G. B. FRANKFORTER. APPARATUS POR WOOD DISTILLATION.

APFLIOATIO IILED.MAB..20. 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

uw... ./mR GEORGE a. EA FRAN/fwn me l l A CE W W um. Q.

H/S ATTORNEYS'.

. l To all whom may concern:

,the products oi'distillation STATES GEGRGE BELL FBANKFRTER,

or M iNNnaroLis, MINNESOTA.

. APPARATS FR WOG BSTILLATION.

no. eresie.

' 'speiacaas or Letters raient.

Patented Dec. 31, 1907.

Application ileclllarch .20. 1905, Serial No. 250.915.

Be it known that I, GEORGE BELL FRANK- FQRTER, of -Minneapolia Hennepin county, Minnesota, have invented c ertam new and usefullmprovements in A aratus tor Wood Distillation,` of which the oowing is a specilcati'on. i

lMy' invention relates to the dry or destructive distillation of wood, and the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in Whichfthe process ofdistillation can lbe carried out with great economy and efficiency.

A'further object is to provide an apparatus that willbe simple in construction and op eration and have a very large capacity. f

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The invention consistsgenerally in providl in a retort arranged at an incline and havin a `nrn'ace at one end and feeding the Woo. slowly through said retort towardl said furnace, and thereby subjecting the wood to a gradually increasing temperature.'

Further, the invention consists in im proved means for receivin and discharging rom the retort. Further, the invention-consists in an improved constructionv oi retort, and further, the invention consists in variousr construee tions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

Infthe accompanying drawings forming part of this specification7 FigureV `l is a plan view of. the retort, with the lcrates which the wood is placed omitted.'I `Fig. 2 is a longitu-` dinal vertical section onl the linea-,ec of Fig.

-1. Fig. 8 lis a transverse vertical section on the line bf?) of Fig. 2. Fig.' i is a-transverse vertical section on the line c-c of Fi 2. Fig. 5 is a detailed cross sectional view o "the retort on the linesI ZM-d of 2, the position of the crate ,.in the retort being shown in full lines. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the crates 'upon its` "supporting truck. Fig. 7 is a. detailed sectional view illustrating the sprocket mechanism in the upper part of the retort for controlling they movement of thev wood crates. Fig. 8 illustrates a'y sectional elevation at 4the lower end of the retort. Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical section on the linee-c ofFig. 2.v 1

\ ln .the drawing', 2 represents asteel retort, preferablyinth form Otau cordata-sliapedy y suitable masonry 3 and varying .in diameter according to the capacity desired.l The re'- tort is divided by gates 4 and 5 Fig.'2 into chambers 6, 7 and 8. These gates are all wedge-shaped, as shown clearly in Fig. 8, and.

are vertically movable in. guides 9 by means of threaded rods 10 on the top of said gates carrying worm wheels 11 that engage worms 12 Voperated by sprocket wheels 13 and chains 14. JThe gates 4.- separate the chambers 6 and 8 from the intermediate chamber 7 and the gates 5 separate the other or outer ends of the chambers 6 and 8 from the atmos here.

' The charge of wood is *first intro uced to the chamber 6 and the gate 5 closed behind shell and built upon inclined ground or within it. Then the gate 4 is raised and the wood admitted to the interior or' distillin chamber of the retort. The retort vis brace and supported in any suitable way, as by a's'eries of cross bars 15 and hangers 16 suspended therefrom. l

In the top of the retort I provide a guideway composed of channel bars 17 Fig. 3. ar.- ranged parallel with one another with their angescontiguous and spaced atthe bottom sufficiently to allow straps 18 Fig. 7 supported at their upper ends upon trucks 19 Fig. 6 to slide between them. The trucks )roll upon the lower ilanges oi' the channel bars and carry the steel crates or baskets 20 that are bolted to the lower ends et the straps 18, and

are adapted to contain the charge of' wood that is being subjected to the process of dis-- tillation. l

The crates are of any suitable size and conform in cross section to the shape of the re tert, as indicated in Fig. 5, and thereare a sui'hcient number of trucks and straps conv necting them with the crate to insure a substantial support .for the charge of wood as 1t is moved through the retort. To protect the crates and the exposed `parts of the. retort Jfrom the air, l prefer to paint them with a thin paste of water-glass yand kaolin or clay.

The channel bars and trucks are located preferably in thetop of the retort where they .will be least aected by the extreme temperature. l I

The crates, owing vto the inclined positron' of the retort, will move 4down by gravity therein, :and in order to keep them under pervfeet controlv I- provide an endless sprocket chain 21 arranged to operate over sprockets 22 and 23 between the channel bars 17, and lugs 24 are provided on the upper ends of the straps 18 to engage the links of the sprocket Achain and thereby retard the downward movement of the basket or crate. The sprocket chain inclin'esupwardly near each extremity of the chain so that the `middle portion of the lower run ofthe chain is'below the level ofthe end portions. The straps 18 are so arranged that they will engage the middle or lower portion of the chain and clear the end portions .and consequently the crate will be retarded during the time the straps 18 are in engagement with the chain and will be held back thereby until the crate passes out of the chamber 7. The chain 21 is within the control of the operator through a chain 25 and a sprocket 26 secured on tie shaft 27.

A suitable approach 28 Fig. 2 is provided at the in-take end oi the retort supporting a truck 29 that is adapted to deliver the crates to the retort.

It is my purpose to provide a sufiicient' number of crates to keep the'retortchamber filled to its full capacity, each crate being char ed with a supplyoi'wood suitable for disti lation purposes.

At the discharge end of theretort a support 30 islprovided upon whichtrucks'may be arranged to "receive thecrates as they are delivered from the cooling chamber 8.

The filling of the retort. will be timed in such a manner that as soon as one-crate enters the chamber 8 to. allow the crate and charcoal to be cooled. before eX osure to the air the nextpreceding crate will) have passed out of said chamber and the next succeeding one will be either directly above-the furnace and undergoing the carbonizing process or.

will be approaching that stagein the retort. As soon as' one crate has -been cooled and the charcoaldischarged it is'ready to -be filled and sent through the retort again. In this way the crates are keptin rotation; the procy ess is madevas nearlycontin'uous as ossible 1 and the retort isfoperatedat the hig est degree of economy and efhciency.

f The furnace which I prefer to employ in.

connection with this apparatus is represented at 31 andmay be. of any suitable style, but

its location is important being at the extreme lower end ofthe distillation chamber for the purpose ofcausing' a gradualjincrease toward in the temperaturel from the u plelr thelower end of .said chaniber. 's furnace is providedtwith the-usualash'pit32 and is throughthefdoors 33 o r'from the side if pre-' ward, andv another wall 35, also;o'r' lfire .bric

serves to deflect theheat downward; vThere may bea series of these 'walls"? 4 and 35;gthe number depending upon the length'iath'retort, to compel the heat to follow a tortuous passage to the stack 35.

the furnace/I provide pipes 36 entering the chamber 7 .(see Figs. 8 and 9) and having a series of perforations 37 through which steam or other suitable gas is introduced into the distillation chamber for the purpose of sweepingv or driving out all vapors, such as turpentine, as fast vas they are liberated from the wood. When it isdes'ired to employ steam I prefer to allow water to iiow slowly through the pipes 36, which willr be vaporized immediately upon entering the! distillation chamber. Distillation will begin as soon as the perature is so regulated that it will range be- ;tween 100 and 250 C. at the upper end ol' the retort; that is, near the chamber 6, and all volatile li uids,.such as water and turpentine, will e driven oii'. As the crate moves slowly downward toward the furnace -and the temperature increases pyroligneous acid (wood vinegar), and other products, are driven off. These distillates may escape from the. retort by two independent outlets: first, by real distillation through gpipes 3S which connect the top of the retort(see Fig. 1) by the shortest possibleV courseilwith an ordinary condenser (not shown), a number of thes;y outlets being provided throughout the length ot. the 'distillation chamber to at 41. By means of this main .and the system of branch pipes I am able to remove the a most undecomposed state.

' The shape of theretort .with the lobes on 4end'of the-retort the temperature will bei drainage pipes to conduct awayfthe-liquids provide escapes atthe diii'erent steps in the4 and conduct' them into t e pipes 39, fromv whence they are drawn off through the valvesI colophonium through the upperand coolerv of these branch pipes in an point, whereas in a retort cir` of. carbonizing the In the opposite sides of the retort and 'preferably justabove `wood enters the chamber 7, wherein the temsufliciently.' high tocompletely carbonize thegl'o each side of the bottom' below the middle v. .portion enables me to provide two sets ot erases' wood. The crate will then be allowed to pass into the`chamber-8 where it is cooled before exposure to the open air.

To use the apparatus` described in the foregoing speciication, a crate is placed upon the truck and charged with wood and then rolled down to the receiving end 'ofthe retort. `The gate 5 at the outery end of the receiving chamber 6 is then raised and the crate moved forward until its trucks pass onto the channel bars and enters the said chamber. The'gate 5 is t-hen closed. The gate 4, at the receiving end of the distillation -haniber 7, is raised and the crate allowed to enter the said chamber 7 and engage the sprocket chain. The operator can then control its speed of travel toward the furnace. The temperature in the retort will be variable according to the distance from the furnace, and at the receiving'eiid of' the` distillation chamber will be sufficiently high to drive off the volatile liquids, as heretofore explained. Then, as the'crate travels down ward, lthe liquids' of a high boiling point will drainoffthrough the pipes 40 into the mains 39; the gases will pass off through the pipes 38, and whenever desired. a sufhcient amount of steam can be introduced into the distillation chamber to assist in carrying away the distillates present therein lin thehform of vaor. By the time the crate reaches the-l ower end of the distillation chamber the wood will be completely carbonized, whereuion the gate 4 will be ,raised and the crate a owedto pass out ofi'engagement with the sprocket chain and into the cooling chamber 8, where the crate and charcoal are allowed to. cool before being exposed to the air through the opening of the gate 5.

By this apparatus l and preserve valuable distillates, taking advantage of the different degrees ottempera ture'required to drive them from the wood, and produce an apparatus that will not only have avery large capacity for t e purpose designed.

I claim as my invention: 1. 4The combination, with an elongated retort having a bottom provided with a conthrough said retort;

2. The combination, 4with an elongated retortfarranged at an ,bottomprovi-ded with `av convex middle portion and longitudinal ldepressionson each v central portion and and suspended within said retort, substan-v am able to separate and be Vvery simple in operation'and construction, but wall also lossess a very high degree (ifefficiency incline and having a sideforining gutters, of a furnace located beneath and near the discharge end of said retort whereby the heat in the retort will gradually increase from its receiving to its discharge end, drain pipes 39 located beF neath said retort and parallel there ith, and branch pipes extendingvertically from said drain pipes through the bottoni of said retort and communicating with said gutters vat intervals between said furnace and the re ceiving end of said retort, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with an elongated retort having a bottom provided with a con veX middle portion and longitudinal depressions on each side forming channels or gutters, and drain pipes connected with said channels at intervals, ofa crateor basket adapted to contain a supply of Wood and having a bottom provided with a convex. depressions on, each side tially described. l

4. The combination, with a retort having receiving and discharge openings and closing means therefor, of,y a heating means, a wood receptacle arranged to travel by gravity in said retort, sprocket chain and lugs or teeth provided 'on said receptacle and adaptl ed to enga;L the links of' said chain, for the purpose specified.

5. The combinar.` with an elongated .retort arranged. at an incline and having av distillation chamber and receiving and cool in T chambers, and gates separating said receiving and cooling chambers from said distillation chamber. and also from the open air, a receptacle adapted to contain aisupply of v`wood arranged toenter said distillaw'iion. chamber through said receiving chamber and means in the path of said receptacle to be v.automatically engaged by and disengaged from said receptacle for regulating the speed of travel of the saine, and a furnace located beneath the discharge end of said distillation chamber and arranged to produce an intenseheatat-said discharge end gradually 'decreasing in intensity toward thereceiving endof said chamber..

6. The combination, with an r-ilongatcdr retort having a bottomprovided with a con- '.veX mlddleportioii and depressions on each Aside forming gutters, of a receptacle adapted to' contain a su'iply of wood also having a bottom provide with a convex middle poru tion; and `depressions on each side to conform substantially to the shape of the retort,'the i. i top of said depression and a series of wheels supported 4 therein, and channel vbars arranged` in the receptacle having a longitudinal top of said retort and wherein said wheels are supported and adapted to travel, substantially as described.

ias

eve-,eee

fr?. The combination,'w1th a retort having engfaged by and disengaged from said re- 'reeeving and'diseharge-openngs and closn ceptaole, substantially as de'sribed. 10

means theref0re, of a heating means, a Wood In Witness whereof, I have" 4hereunto set lreceptacle arranged t0 travel by gravity in ymy hand this lth day ofMarch'lQO..

@aid retort, and Ineens arranged in the path; l GEORGE BELL FRANKFORTER. e said receptacle and traveling therewith4 Witnesses: e te regulate the travel of said receptacle, and RICHARD PAUL,

said regulating means being automatically C. MACNAMARA. 

